CIK Busts International Cyber Fraud Racket in Srinagar; Crores Involved, 7 Arrested

Srinagar: Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) has dismantled a sophisticated international cyber fraud racket in Srinagar, arresting seven suspects and seizing a large cache of incriminating digital equipment.

Acting on credible technical inputs, CIK-CID teams tracked covert call centres engaged in duping foreign and local nationals. After systematic surveillance and digital intelligence gathering, investigators identified a key hub at the Industrial Area, Rangreth in Srinagar.

Swift raids across Srinagar city followed, leading to the arrest of seven individuals. The crackdown yielded 13 mobile phones, nine laptops, VoIP systems, SIM cards, networking devices, and digital storage media.

Among the seized gadgets were two iPhone 17s, three iPhone 16s, two iPhone 10s, two iPhone 11s, a Samsung Galaxy S25FE, Redmi models, a Nazro 50A, an Apple iPad, and multiple laptops from Dell, HP, and Apple MacBooks.

An official, while wishing anonymity said, “The accused had set up an unregistered call centre using VoIP-based systems to generate international virtual numbers. By masking their real location through server routing and spoofing, they posed as legitimate service providers,”

As per the insiders, victims were targeted through phishing ads and a fake YahooMail.com portal. Once connected via toll-free numbers operated by the suspects, individuals were tricked into sharing sensitive banking and personal details. Funds were then funnelled into mule accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, primarily in USDT.

“No cash transactions were involved. The entire operation was digital, layered, and technologically advanced,” the official added.

As per the authorities, fraudulent transactions run into crores. A case has been registered under relevant sections of law, and further investigation is underway.